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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27635330">Don't Blink</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmillennia/pseuds/musicmillennia'>musicmillennia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(from the netherworld), Alternate Universe, Body Horror, Dark, Dark Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Dubious Consent, Eldritch, Lan Wangji plays some Funky Tunes, M/M, Madness, Mild Gore, Mind Control, No beta we die like wwx, but there's no sex sorry folks, wen ruohan's a little bitch but y'all already knew that</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:20:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27635330</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmillennia/pseuds/musicmillennia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Sunshot Campaign is failing. The Thing in the Burial Mounds is its only hope.<br/>Lan Wangji will do anything for his brother.</p><p>[Eldritch Wei Wuxian au]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén &amp; Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>244</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Don't Blink</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I rated this M just 'cause there's some graphic deaths, though I guess this could be a T idk</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Burial Mounds are inconspicuous among their surroundings until you step over their boundaries. Shadows that should not be there swallow the midday sun, until Lan Wangji is left in nearly complete darkness.</p><p>He glances behind him. A wall of shade hisses at him.</p><p>He walks.</p><p>Whispers plague his steps, growing with the incline. Lan Wangji thinks of his brother playing Clarity on Liebing. This leads inevitably to the week before: Xichen sitting in his tent, posture forgotten. His brother, who never kept secrets from him, covering his fatigue as soon as he saw Lan Wangji.</p><p>If nothing else, the Sunshot Campaign must succeed for Xichen's happiness.</p><p>"Alright, alright, what do you want?"</p><p>The whispers cease, and Lan Wangji finds himself staring at a pale young man in black and red.</p><p>"You're not going away, I can tell," the man says, twirling what looks like a black dizi in his right hand. "You're desperate."</p><p>For a moment, Lan Wangji can only stare. The legends surrounding the Burial Mounds have never mentioned a <em>human</em>. Or, what looks like a human. Only madness, screaming. A creature not of this world, one no cultivator can defeat.</p><p>"Do you know of the Sunshot Campaign?" Lan Wangji finally asks.</p><p>The man snickers. His eyes flash strangely; Lan Wangji's head aches until they settle. But he does not answer.</p><p>"We must win," Lan Wangji continues, "Legend has it that you grant wishes."</p><p>The man laughs fully. Still he says nothing.</p><p>Lan Wangji bows. "I am willing to pay any price for assistance."</p><p>The laughter halts.</p><p>"Really?" the man says quietly. "Anything?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>...a cold, cold hand cups Lan Wangji's chin, straightening him.</p><p>The man whispers, "I ask for blood," without moving his mouth, and something, something that Lan Wangji cannot describe, writhes in the shadows behind him.</p><p>Lan Wangji keeps his expression smooth. "In war, there is no shortage of blood."</p><p>The man grins with a mouth too large for his face. He touches Lan Wangji's forehead.</p><p>Lan Wangji opens his eyes to his brother's camp.</p><p>"Call me Wei Ying," the man purrs.</p>
<hr/><p>The council falls silent when Lan Wangji leads Wei Ying into the tent.</p><p>"Wei Wuxian," Wei Ying says with a dramatic bow, "at your service."</p><p>"I know of no Wei Wuxian," Nie Mingjue says.</p><p>Wei Ying straightens, twirling his dizi again. "Your blades forget so easily?"</p><p>Nie Mingjue's eyes widen. Lan Wangji has never seen him like this.</p><p>"Sect Leader," Sect Leader Yao says, "What does he mean?"</p><p>"Who called you?" Nie Mingjue demands.</p><p>"The great Hanguang-jun, of course!" Wei Ying replies, sweeping towards the war table, "You need to win a war. I was available. Wen Ruohan is a troublesome little boy anyway."</p><p>No one can seem to decide who to look at: Lan Wangji, Wei Ying, or Nie Mingjue. But Nie Mingjue and Xichen both stare at Lan Wangji, one in contempt, the other in astonished concern.</p><p>Wei Ying braces his hands on the war table and smiles. "So. How would you like him killed? I'm feeling generous."</p>
<hr/><p>Afterwards, Nie Mingjue yanks Lan Wangji to his tent, ignoring Xichen's protests. As soon as they're alone, he roars, "What have you <em>done</em>?!"</p><p>Xichen's immediately in front of his brother. "Mingjue, please—"</p><p>Nie Mingjue pushes him aside with a roughness he's never shown to Xichen. "Do you have any idea what sort of creature you've called?"</p><p>"We are losing," Lan Wangji replies, "The creature was willing."</p><p>"The <em>creature</em>," Nie Mingjue spits, "Of course it was willing! What was its price?"</p><p>"Blood."</p><p>"Whose?"</p><p>Lan Wangji stares.</p><p>Nie Mingjue raises his hand—Xichen stops him with a horrified cry. He always looks angry, Sect Leader Nie, but this is unprecedented. He looks moments from a qi deviation, Baxia practically shaking on his back.</p><p>"He could have anyone's now!" Nie Mingjue shouts, "What good is victory if that thing decides it wants <em>our </em>blood?!"</p><p>Lan Wangji's mouth moves, but he does not know what he says. Almost as if someone put cotton in his ears. Whatever his words are, it leaves Nie Mingjue and Xichen still as death.</p><p>"Wangji?" Xichen whispers.</p><p>Lan Wangji wants to ask what just happened. Instead, he says, "Mn?"</p><p>Nie Mingjue pulls away from Xichen and says, "What's done is done, then." </p>
<hr/><p>"What did you mean?" Lan Wangji asks that night.</p><p>Wei Ying takes a long drag of liquor he'd snatched from Jin Zixuan's table. He has consumed nothing else apart from glares and suspicion. "I mean many things, Hanguang-jun."</p><p>"The Nie sabers," Lan Wangji says.</p><p>Wei Ying smiles into his next sip. "My darling nephew is...prolific."</p><p>"Nephew?"</p><p>Wei Ying raises an eyebrow. After a moment's scrutiny of Lan Wangji, he laughs. "You really don't know who I am, do you?"</p><p>"The legends do not name you."</p><p>"Oh, I have too many names for them to keep track." Wei Ying gets to his feet. "But you've heard <em>none </em>of them?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Ah, so honest." Wei Ying tosses the liquor to the side. "I should reward you for your pure heart, Hanguang-jun."</p><p>"Victory is reward enough."</p><p>Wei Ying wags his finger at him. "No, no, that's the conditions of our deal. This is different!"</p><p>"Unnecessary."</p><p>"<em>Very </em>necessary! Hm..." Wei Ying taps his chin with his dizi. Then he's grinning that too-large grin and saying, "You have a guqin, yes? Many stories speak of your musical prowess."</p><p>"Mn."</p><p>Wei Ying slides his dizi into his sash and digs into his robes. He withdraws an entire guqin.</p><p>Lan Wangji stares. "How...?"</p><p>"Ah, Lan Wangji-Lan Wangji," Wei Ying says, "I'm a legend for a reason, aren't I? Here. I do hope you enjoy it."</p><p>Slowly, Lan Wangji takes the guqin. Dark lacqured wood, smoothed to perfection, carved with lotus patterns. Whoever crafted it has prodigal talent.</p><p>"Come, play something!" Wei Ying says, "You must break it in, after all."</p><p>Lan Wangji looks back at him and knows to his core that he should never play this guqin. Even without Nie Mingjue's warning, he knows that whatever Wei Ying is, it is not something to be trifled with.</p><p>Yet when he blinks, he finds himself sitting before the instrument, fingers running across the glittering silver strings.</p><p>"Play with all your heart, Hanguang-jun," Wei Ying whispers.</p><p>A melody flows from Lan Wangji's fingertips. He has never heard it before. It is beautiful, soft and...almost nostalgic, somehow. As he plays, he feels Wei Ying's hands on his shoulders, squeezing intermittently. His soul shudders, but he doesn't stop. He must finish this song.</p><p>"Yes," Wei Ying breathes, "Perfect."</p>
<hr/><p>The next day, Wei Ying walks into an army of Wens. With two notes of his dizi, the soldiers' bodies burst into bloody mounds of flesh.</p><p>In the sudden, terrible silence, Wei Ying smiles at Lan Wangji and says, "Requiescat?"</p><p>When Lan Wangji withdraws his guqin, he freezes.</p><p>"Ah," Wei Ying says brightly, "you brought it! How sweet of you, Hanguang-jun."</p><p>He did not. Lan Wangji had specifically left Wei Ying's gift behind. Yet here it is in Wangji's stead, strings humming under his fingertips. They feel...hungry.</p><p>"Wangji?" Xichen says quietly, "I can play."</p><p>No. His brother has done enough already.</p><p>Lan Wangji sits among the dead. His robes are stained as he plays. He does not see his allies recoiling from his song. Does not hear his brother calling his name until he is done.</p><p>Wei Ying looks so proud. It occurs to Lan Wangji that he is meant to be covered in blood. He blinks the thought away.</p><p>"Amazing," Wei Ying says, "Hanguang-jun is unparalleled!"</p><p>He turns on his heel and heads for Nightless City.</p>
<hr/><p>Wen Ruohan yells in rage when he sees Wei Ying walking towards him. "Where did you come from?" he bellows.</p><p>Wei Ying laughs. "The Netherworld." The Yin Iron flies to his hand, as if it's <em>easy</em> to call it. "Your father would be <em>so </em>disappointed in you. If he felt disappointment."</p><p>He crushes the Yin Iron in a fist that does not look remotely like a human hand. Lan Wangji has no words to describe—but then it's gone, along with Wen Ruohan's puppets.</p><p>The Wen forces stagger in fear. Foreign, vicious delight curls in Lan Wangji's chest.</p><p>"Stupid little child," Wei Ying croons, halfway up the steps to a trembling Wen Ruohan, "You didn't even let your sons be corrupted." He tsks like a disappointed mother. "Don't you know how to play with my toys?"</p><p>His hand closes around Wen Ruohan's throat.</p><p>"At least Hanguang-jun knows his place," Wei Ying says, "Would you like to hear him? Such a talented boy."</p><p>Lan Wangji blinks, and he is standing beside Wei Ying. He is told to play. His guqin is in his hands.</p><p>The whites of Wen Ruohan's eyes stare at him in horror. "No! <em>No</em>!"</p><p>Wei Ying's laughter is a perfect harmony to Lan Wangji's song.</p>
<hr/><p>When Lan Wangji opens his eyes, Wei Ying's grin is above him. The sunlight does not seem to touch him—or, perhaps, it affects him in a way Lan Wangji cannot register.</p><p>"How lovely you are," Wei Ying coos, caressing him like a favorite pet. "It's your blood that I'm taking, of course. Though at first I did consider your allies, just for fun." He sighs loudly. "But my sister said no, and she asks for so little."</p><p>"Sister?" Lan Wangji murmurs faintly.</p><p>Something shimmers in the air. It's not like the shadows that creep around Wei Ying, but it is there. Wei Ying waves his hand through it with genuine affection.</p><p>"She's the one who really doesn't have a name," he says as the mist disperses. "Well, nothing your ears can hear. Not yet."</p><p>Lan Wangji blinks slowly.</p><p>"Someday, though." Wei Ying's teeth are very sharp. "See, I've decided I <em>like </em>you, Hanguang-jun. I've never liked a human before. It's quite novel."</p><p>Lan Wangji realizes that he should be hearing other voices. They are sitting in the aftermath of a battle. Yet there is nothing, not even Xichen.</p><p>Wei Ying kisses him. His lips burn. Something enters Lan Wangji's mouth, sinuous, wet, but it is not a tongue. Or perhaps it is?</p><p>Wei Ying hums. His voice echoes in Lan Wangji's mind: <em>Mine</em>.</p><p>When Lan Wangji opens his eyes again, he is sitting upright, playing that song. The one he'd played when he'd first received this guqin, the one that drove Wen Ruohan to tear his own skin from his bones.</p><p>Somewhere, far away, he hears a melody answer. It is sweetly grating.</p><p>Wei Ying puts his head on Lan Wangji's shoulder. "You're going to be fun."</p>
<hr/><p>As his ears weep blood, Xichen can only say his brother's name.</p><p>(Wei Ying's sister never said anything about letting the sects live.)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>One of Nyarlathotep's siblings is the Nameless Mist, progenitor to Yog-Sothoth (who is the "prolific" nephew—Yog-Sothoth has had children with humans before, so who's to say he didn't have a hand in the Nie blades). Yes, I had Jiang Yanli in mind when I put them in, though I admit I definitely didn't think of Jin Ling when I thought of Yog-Sothoth.</p><p>I feel like I didn't do the eldritch characters justice, but I took inspiration from Nyarlathotep's story where he hands out treasures and brings about the end of the world.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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